José Ángel Fernández López had dedicated more than thirty years of his life to the 43 Group of the Air and Space Army. Second lieutenant, flight mechanic, and one of the most experienced professionals in the unit, he accumulated around 4,000 hours in the amphibious planes that combat some of the most dangerous wildfires in Spain every summer.
The military, 56 years old, passed away from natural causes while he was deployed in Santiago de Compostela as part of the campaign against wildfires. His death occurred during a day of rest and not while participating in an air operation.
Married and father of two children, Fernández was a regular part of the Compostela detachment from which the 43 Group provides coverage to Galicia and the entire northwest of the peninsula.
The Air and Space Army confirmed his death and conveyed its condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the second lieutenant. The expressions of sorrow were joined by the Defense General Staff, the Army, and the Military Emergency Unit.
More than three decades as a flight mechanic of the 43 Group
José Ángel Fernández López joined more than three decades ago in the 43 Group, the unit of the Air and Space Army specialized in aerial combat against wildfires.
During his career, he served as a flight mechanic, an essential role within the crews of the amphibious planes. These professionals participate in the supervision of the aircraft systems and contribute to ensuring the safety and functioning of the equipment during each mission.
Fernández accumulated around 4,000 flight hours and continuously participated in the extinguishing campaigns carried out from the Santiago de Compostela detachment.
The 43 Group itself has highlighted, after his passing, his experience, camaraderie, charisma, and the deep commitment he maintained to his profession for more than thirty years.
A key role in the aerial fight against wildfires
His career allows us to understand the dimension of a work that is usually carried out far from the spotlight. Flight mechanics are part of the crews that must operate at low altitude, approach reservoirs, rivers, or coastal areas to load water and make drops in conditions marked by smoke, wind, turbulence, and the complexity of the terrain.
Firefighting operations require constant coordination between pilots, flight mechanics, and the rest of the crew members. Each intervention begins with the analysis of the fire and continues with low-altitude flights to load and unload thousands of liters of water over the fronts indicated by the extinguishing teams.
The aircraft can make numerous approaches and drops during the same day. The heat, the loss of visibility caused by smoke, the orography, and the sudden changes in wind make these missions very difficult operations.
Fernández developed a good part of his career in this environment and was regularly linked to the deployment in Santiago de Compostela, one of the strategic positions of the unit to respond to forest fire emergencies in Galicia.
Died of natural causes during his rest day
The sub-lieutenant passed away on Thursday, August 20, from natural causes, according to the information communicated by the Air and Space Army.
A more specific medical cause has not been disclosed. It has been specified that his death occurred during a rest day and not while he was involved in an aerial extinguishing operation.
The military was temporarily deployed at the aerodrome of Santiago de Compostela as part of the device activated for the forest fire campaign. His death coincided, therefore, with the deployment, but was not a consequence of a mission or an accident related to firefighting work.
Fernández was married and had two children. His mortal remains were transferred to a funeral home in Abegondo before the farewell religious ceremonies held in Betanzos.
What is the 43 Group and how does it combat fires
The 43 Air Force Group is the unit of the Air and Space Army responsible for collaborating in the extinction of forest fires and participating in search and rescue missions.
Its main base is located in Torrejón de Ardoz, although during periods of higher risk, it distributes aircraft and personnel across different detachments to reduce response time in the event of an emergency.
Among those positions is Santiago de Compostela, from where the 43 Group can quickly intervene in Galicia and other areas of northwest Spain.
Their amphibious planes can load water directly in reservoirs, rivers, or coastal areas without the need to return to a base after each drop. This capability allows for successive passes over the fires and supports the devices working from the ground.
The interventions are coordinated with the autonomous services, the forest firefighters, Civil Protection, and, when participating in the operation, the Military Emergency Unit.
The tribute of the Air Force to one of its most veteran mechanics
The Air and Space Force has bid farewell to José Ángel Fernández highlighting his more than thirty years of service and the approximately 4,000 flight hours accumulated in the 43 Group.
The Defense Staff, the Army, and the Military Emergency Unit have also publicly conveyed their condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the second lieutenant.
The figures allow for sizing his experience, but the farewell of the unit has also enhanced his human dimension. His colleagues have especially remembered his charisma, his camaraderie, and the commitment he maintained to a profession to which he dedicated practically his entire working life.
His death has occurred during a particularly demanding campaign against wildfires. While the means of the 43 Group continue deployed in different points of Spain, the unit bids farewell to one of its most veteran flight mechanics.